Posted on 02/14/2022 7:23:28 AM PST by lightman
This is a tale of two Beltway cities.
One - Alexandria - resides on the freedom side of the Potomac River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The other is the District of Columbia, our nation’s capital.
These famous towns have many similarities but differ on COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Both are unfortunately run by progressive politicians. Both are situated in the DMV Metro Area. But one isn’t encumbered by suffocating policies anymore. The other is.
Blue Alexandria, VA in Free Virginia Has No Mandates
After January 15th, Governor Glenn Youngkin’s inauguration, any outstanding mask mandate in place —vaccine or mask—was lifted (save for non-compliant school districts). Even in progressive havens like Arlington and Alexandria.
Under his predecessor, Ralph Northam, masks were largely optional indoors — even here in Northern Virginia. (After all, it was an election year.) Alas, public employees were mandated to be vaccinated. Those mandates, however, were immediately nixed once the Youngkin administration assumed office.
The City of Alexandria is run by Democrats, but it’s buffered by a strong small business culture. Local brick-and-mortar stores, who’ve felt the brunt of COVID, aren’t adopting restrictive policies. And they won’t. They don’t want to regress or lose customers to nearby towns.
Old Town shops don’t require proof of vaccination nor mandate masks, but the city recommends wearing the latter in government buildings. Personally, I’ve walked by only one business in town that requires proof of vaccination to enter. (Ironically, a gym.) Fortunately, the majority of businesses aren’t copying D.C.
The Virginia Department of Health writes, “Businesses have the option to set their own mask policy.” However, most aren’t being stickler about enforcement. It’s refreshing and reasonable.
Unfortunately, this “pro-choice” policy didn’t stop one angry Alexandrian from lashing out at Governor Youngkin while he was promoting the grocery tax repeal. The now-viral exchange went like this:
“Governor, where’s your mask?” the woman yelled over the sound of cash registers beeping and the rustling of grocery bags.
“We’re all making choices here,” Youngkin replied.
“Look around you, Governor, you’re in Alexandria,” the woman replied. “Read the room, buddy.”
Much to the chagrin of Democrats, she failed to read the state as the Governor had. Last week, Democrat governors in Delaware, New Jersey, and California similarly took a cue from Youngkin and have since lifted their mask mandates. Imagine that
All things considered, Alexandria is exponentially freer than Washington, D.C.
A Totalitarian Outpost in the Mid-Atlantic
The contrast between Alexandria and Washington, D.C., couldn’t be more stark.
As of January 15th, patrons are required to show proof of vaccination status and a photo-ID to enter indoor establishments in the District of Columbia:
What are acceptable forms of proof of COVID-19 vaccination status?
• For proof of vaccination, patrons ages 12 years and older must provide one of the following:
A CDC issued vaccination card (original physical copy, photocopy, or digital copy/photo)
Record of immunization from a healthcare provider or public health authority o A COVID-19 verification app (e.g., VaxYes, Clear, Excelsior, MyIR)
World Health Organization Vaccination Record Businesses may accept any of these types of proof of vaccination, but they MUST accept a CDC issued vaccination card (original physical copy, photocopy, or digital copy/photo).
What are acceptable forms of photo identification? ' • Businesses also need to verify vaccination with photo identification for patrons ages 18 years and older, such as:
State issued driver’s license or limited purpose driver’s license
Any other state issued identification card
Passport DC One Card
Student ID
Permanent resident card
Due to these constraints, restaurants like Big Board DC and Junction Bakery have voiced their dismay. Sadly, the former was forced to close on February 2nd.
In an interview with Daily Signal, Noe Landini—a restaurateur behind popular Alexandria restaurants Landini Brothers and Junction Bakery in Old Town and Del Ray, respectively— pleaded with bureaucrats and regulators to be decent:
Landini placed the mandated sign outside Junction, but he also put up a sign promising that Junction would not “discriminate against any customer based on sex, gender, race, creed, age, vaccinated or unvaccinated.”
“All customers who wish to patronize are welcome in our establishment,” read the sign, which quickly landed on social media. Though many praised the restaurant’s statement, others criticized Junction and falsely accused the restaurant of being “anti-vax,” Landini said.
As blue havens relax their rules, Washington D.C., doesn’t seem to be relenting anytime soon. Truly a shame.
Conclusion
With its rising crime rates and obtuse COVID-19 rules in place, Washington, D.C., is losing its luster. I won’t cross the river until these measures are lifted. And I’m not alone in taking this principled stance.
In contrast, Northern Virginia is an oasis of freedom. Yes, it does have its share of obnoxious mask wearers— but it’s not mandated.
For weary Washingtonians looking for a reprieve from mandates, our towns are open and welcoming. We intend to remain this way.
Join us!
Ping
The most expensive real estate in America is the area in and around DC.
Speaks volumes to everything the Founders warned against about profiting from government service.
“...Washington, D.C., is losing its luster...”
Just noticing now?
Let me see if I’ve got this right—ID to vote is racist, but ID to enter a store is not?
Sheesh!
It is not obedience to obey commands that make sense.
True obedience is obeying totally insane commands.
Old Town Alexandria, after a period of being complete covid idiots, realized after some time that they needed to open up their service industry, small businesses, and shops and did so as much as they could. And its a democrap run town.
Old town/NOVA is still filled with democraps wearing masks, even though months ago the restrictions were lifted and/or given for each individual business to decide. But you can tell who is based just by them being maskless.
That clown yelling at Youngkin is the idiot who cant read a room.
If your on King St in Old Town Alexandria, try out Landini Brothers for a meal. Great food and not surprising they are being kind to all.
Dc just lifted the vaccine mandate for entering businesses likley b/c of the blow back and that VA is a quick drive from DC w/no mandates.
Alexandria was pretty reasonable as mentioned in the article w/Covid restrictions. By May of 2020 people were down on the waterfront mask-less and dining out. The Mayor, Justin Wilson,(a total Progressive and not well-liked by anyone but) is very tight with certain restaurant groups that include Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Don Beyer as investors. They didn’t want their ox’s gored so he protected them and his city’s tax dollars.
Yeah, apparently Bowser got the party memo saying the polling is bad.
AFAIC, everywhere 50-75 miles out from the Center of DC is nothing but leftist Democrats whose residence work and thrive in the cesspit of DC daily while they work to destroy the rest of the country’s freedoms. Not one substantive whit’s bit of difference between any of them in any meaningful way, IMO, regardless of this mask diversion.
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